Yanmar Oil leak on 4JH4

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   Hi all
On my Yanmar 4JH4 54 hp I have always suffered an engine oil leak from new. There is alway a pool of oil in the bilge. Constantly mopping up.  Any ideas welcome.  Engine still under warranty.
regards
Stephen

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Stephen Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 23 November 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 42	Post Options Post Reply Quote Stephen Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Yanmar Oil leak on 4JH4 Posted: 17 September 2006 at 08:55
	Hi all On my Yanmar 4JH4 54 hp I have always suffered an engine oil leak from new. There is alway a pool of oil in the bilge. Constantly mopping up. Any ideas welcome. Engine still under warranty. regards Stephen
	Stephen Kerr

colincooper Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 23 October 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 562	Post Options Post Reply Quote colincooper Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 September 2006 at 22:03
	Evoke the warrentee. It should not leak like that. Should be clean.
	Colin (owner of Hilde - a 370)

Zeevlam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Sub Lieutenant Joined: 08 May 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 5	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zeevlam Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 May 2007 at 15:03
	Hi, Depends on what kind of oil it is: does it come from the saildrive or the engine itself. Common problem with the saildrive is oil leakage on the primary axe running into the saildrive. This oil is always clean and smells different. Regards, Willem

taduka Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 04 December 2005 Location: Malta Status: Offline Points: 188	Post Options Post Reply Quote taduka Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 May 2007 at 16:04
	Stephen if oil is leaking you should see levels dropping. monitor both your engine & sail drive levels very accurately and then you can establish where this leak is coming from. once this is identified action can be taken. if the engine is still under warranty you should ask yanmar to look at it good luck Shawn

Zeevlam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Sub Lieutenant Joined: 08 May 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 5	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zeevlam Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 May 2007 at 16:26
	Dear Shawn, It does not really have to work that way! Leakage from your SD is not a matter of a dropping level. If it became that far, problems a huge by that time. Leakage from the engine cannot for 100% be concluded from a dropping level since your engine is also consuming oil. The simplest way is to smell the oil. One can also feel underneath the engine at the junction between the SD and the engine. Good luck, Willem

colincooper Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 23 October 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 562	Post Options Post Reply Quote colincooper Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 May 2007 at 20:38
	The problem was reported 9 months ago. Hopefully it has been fixed already. A pool of oil in the bilge seems conclusive proof of a leak somewhere.....
	Colin (owner of Hilde - a 370)

Zeevlam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Sub Lieutenant Joined: 08 May 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 5	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zeevlam Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 May 2007 at 22:32
	About the smell is just a hint ... If the leak is found, perhaps interesting to know what it has been ... Stephen, any news? Greetings, Willem

tbbmarine-1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 15 March 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 30	Post Options Post Reply Quote tbbmarine-1 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 September 2007 at 16:02
	Can you be more specific as to the location of this common saildrive transmission leak- and suggest how best to repair. Is this a mating problem between the engine and the transmission- requiring gasket replacement? Or is this something else? I may have a very small leak but very small, and very hard to find. Can you tell me where to look?

Zeevlam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Sub Lieutenant Joined: 08 May 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 5	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zeevlam Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 September 2007 at 19:23
	Hi, tbbmarine, I do not really understand what you want to know since almost everything has been set out above. I also do not really understand the word "mating". But anyway, the engine and the saildrive are two separate elements but connected to eachother. From the flywheel an axis comes out of the flywheel house which runs into the SD. The flywheel is dry, meaning that there will be no oil leaking from that site, assuming that it is leaking just a bit. So, mostly the oil comes from the SD which is totalay filled with oil. To prevent oil comming out, the axis from the flywheel is covered with a seal. Now that one can leak which is a common problem at Yanmar. If that is the case, you can feel the oil comming down between the engine and the saildrive, just put your fingers in. If you feel the oil overthere, smell it and have a look at its color. Take out the oillevel plug from the SD and smell if its the same particular smell. That should point you in the right direction. If that is not really the case or only half the case, take a look at the color. Especially if the engine oil is gray or black and you can find that color also on your fingers, then it comes from the engine. If it is the saildrive, be happy to know that Hanse and Yanmar did a good design job: its quite easy to pull the engine from the SD and replace the sealing. If it is something else , you have to locate the leakage more in detail. In any event, I have been told that Yanmars are clean and dry during there lifetime. Good luck, hope it clearify's something, Greetings, Willem

tbbmarine-1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 15 March 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 30	Post Options Post Reply Quote tbbmarine-1 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 October 2007 at 18:28
	hello zeeflam- thank you very much for the reply. My leak is a tiny amount- probably about 3 or 4 drops for each hour of running time- and it is certainly gear oil and not motor oil. The gear oil collects in the area you suggest. I suspect you are correct and I will eventually have to replace the seal. I had a look- and have to say it does not look easy- my sense is that the engine will have to come off it's mounts and getting a wrench on the nuts will not be so easy either. I know leaks usually get worse- but for a couple of drops it hardly seems worth it right now. WOuld you expect catastrophic failure if I put this off? Any detailed information would be most helpful. Thank you.



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